Mad Daughter
by LolAya
Summary: Set a few years after the true ending, Aya and Maria open a new clinic in the forest, continuing her father's work. Meanwhile, in a nearby town, a newcomer arrives, and the villagers turn to the stranger to find out who's responsible for the disappearance of several people.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone, Aya here!

Yes, I know, my name is the same as the girl in the game.

But anyway~ I've written a new fanfic! And it's about Mad Father! I was the one who requested for the new category :))

I didn't play the game (too much of a wuss to even play it), so I watched playthroughs instead (oh, Cry 3), and words cannot even describe how disappointed I am at the true ending. Yes, I know it's the 'true' ending, but I'm still pissed :/

And Dio! I almost cried when I knew that he wouldn't be able to live (well, he was already dead in the first place, but never mind that). You know that feeling when you finished a movie/tv series/book/etc and you still feel empty afterwards, like there should be more to the ending but there's none? Yeah, that's what I felt after the ending.

So I thought I should extend it, to what happened after the true ending!

By the way, to those who don't know, 'Dio' is the golden-haired boy who kissed Aya on the forehead in the true ending. It's not his real name, and he wasn't given an official name, so many people call him by the name 'Dio', so it would be easier to address him.

* * *

Warning: Don't read if you haven't finished the game, or finished watching other people finish the game.

* * *

Chapter 1 What Happened After

Aya looked sadly at the burning mansion. She heard Maria walk further away, but she couldn't help it. She just had to stare at the house. As she looked on, her thoughts wandered to the strange man who called himself Ogre. She was worried that the man might not make it, but then again, he is…quite strange, after all. Aya was sure he was fine. She then picked up Snowball and followed Maria, but she saw a book on the ground and picked it up.

Already quite far, Maria stopped. Aya wasn't following her and she was worried.

"Mistress?" Suddenly, as if hearing her call, her young mistress came running towards her. "What is the matter?"

"Hmm…nothing. Let's go." And after that, Aya walked hastily in front of her.

"The mistress is very hardy…" Maria said to herself as she watched Aya walk. "Even after that harsh experience, she walks on without shedding a tear." Maria knows they will do fine, but she can't shake the feeling of uneasiness as she quietly followed after Aya into the forest.

As Aya went further into the forest, she let her mind wader away again, but this time it was about a certain golden-haired boy who gave her a kiss on the forehead before parting ways. At first she felt flushed as she remember the kiss, but then an unexplainable sadness hit her as she realized that she will never be able to see him again.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Hmm…" A young boy lying down in the forest moaned in pain as he struggled to open his eyes. The sun was awfully bright, and it was stinging his eyes, making it water. After he was captured by that mad doctor, it has been a while since he saw actual sunlight, and he was overjoyed for a moment until he realized that something was off. "Wait a second…am I…?"

The boy stood up and touched his head and chest. "Why…?"

'_Surprised, aren't you?'_ A female voice said to him.

"Mrs. Drevis! I thought you were…! And I'm…"

'_Hush, dear. I don't have much time left, so I will explain everything as detailed as a brief explanation will allow.'_ The voice was soft, and the boy immediately stopped talking. _'After I showed my daughter what she needed to see, I thought that I have exhausted all of my powers. As you can see right now, I was proven wrong, and I used what was left of my powers to resurrect you.'_

"I am grateful of what you have done." The boy bowed. "But why?"

'_Yes, I was getting to that. Thanks to you, my daughter escaped from my husband. I should be relieved now, but somehow I still can't rest in peace, and it's not because of the maid, that I am sure of. I don't trust the maid, yet I need someone to look after my daughter. After observing her for a while, she showed some characteristics similar to my husband, and if there is no one there to guide her, she will surely follow the path of her father. There have been too many sacrifices already, and I don't want my daughter to lead the same life as her father. I resurrected you because I trust that you will look after Aya and lead her back to the light if ever she has gone astray.'_

"But, I thought resurrection was impossible…" The boy looked down at his own hands. They were warm and had the color of normal flesh, just like a living human's.

'_Though it drained a considerable amount of my energy, it wasn't that hard. You still had your body, and your soul was intact, too. All I needed to do was to revive your body while connecting it with your soul at the same time. The hard part was to bring you out of the burning mansion unscathed.'_

"I see…" The boy then touched the right part of his face. The skin felt perfect and flawless, unlike the scarred one he possessed before, and he had his right eye back. "I am ever so grateful to be given the chance of living again. I shall see to it that your daughter lives a normal life. However, I don't know where they currently are right now…"

'_You don't need to thank me. This is just a small gift for all the times you've helped my daughter and an advance thank you if you protect her well in the future.'_ Though he couldn't see her, he knew that she was standing in front of him. _'And I'm afraid my powers are limited. Aya and the maid have gone too far for me sense their location and I cannot leave this place.'_

The boy bowed again. "It's alright. Whatever it takes I will track them down."

'_Thank you. By the way, I still don't know your name. Mind telling me before I fade completely?'_

The boy hesitated for a while. "I don't have any parents, so I don't have a given name, but people who knew me in the past called me Dio."

'_Alright. Then, Dio, find my daughter and make sure she doesn't repeat history…'_ The voice faded in the wind as Monika Drevis' soul disappeared, leaving Dio all alone in the forest.

* * *

And, it's kinda short, but this chapter is more of a prologue than a real chapter. I'll try to make it longer in the future.

So? What do you think? Please be kind enough to leave a review!


	2. Chapter 2

And here's the 2nd chapter! I plan on posting a chapter per week, but since I have five days of no school until next Monday so I figured why not write a few chapters now?

Also, I can't believe I have had this many reviews and favourites in less than a week! I'm so happy! (tears)

By the way, just so you guys know, I'm not making this a 20 or 30 chapter long novel (hell no). This will probably end in less than 10 chapters. Just an FYI.

Oh, and I want to ask you guys something. I'm still not sure how I should portray Maria. Would she be a bad person or a good person? Leave your thoughts in the reviews and why you think she should be that way and I might consider it. (In short, I'll just pick which one I like the most and portray Maria according to it.)

And, I know I said I requested for this category, but it turns out another person also requested for it: Piraxis! I don't know who requested it first, maybe we requested for it at the same time? Anyway, credit's to him/her(?) too!

* * *

Chapter 2 Investigations

Maria listened intently to the conversations in the other room. That girl, Jean Rooney, was quite a catch, and Maria was sure that her mistress was pleased. Though stricken with poverty, Jean was still beautiful, and it was that same poverty and beauty that made her an easy target for Maria.

The talking stopped, and it was time to start the operation. Maria heard her mistress call her, and a small smile appeared on the old maid's face as she proceeded to the operation room.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The town market was busy as usual, but this time the bustling and commotion was directed towards something else than the goods itself. The crowd gathered around a tall man. He was wearing a hooded cloak, and his face was covered by the shadow of the hood, but even so, anyone could tell that the man was very handsome.

The town is situated on one of the country's major trading routes, so traders and merchants pass through the town several times a month, and seeing new faces isn't exactly new to the people. But what made this man so special that almost everyone would gather around him? Nobody was sure, but they all felt a strange air about the man, and maybe he could end their crisis.

"Alright, alright." A short, chubby man with a mustache waved at the crowd in annoyance. Judging from his attire, he was probably the town mayor. "I will discuss some urgent matters with this guest, and we will get to nowhere with all of you blocking the way!"

The crowd parted like the Red Sea and let the two of them go. The mayor smiled apologetically at the man before proceeding to the town hall. After entering the mayor's office, the mayor offered his guest a seat after taking his cloak and hanging it on a coat hanger, and then he went to sit behind his desk, directly in front of the man.

The man looked taller without his cloak, and the mayor finally saw his facial features. Messy blond hair that fell naturally around his face, pale white skin that would cause envy from any woman, and mysterious brown eyes that held more secrets than he could possibly tell. In short, the mayor felt, no, he was sure that this man was made by god himself and he was sent from the heavens to answer their prayers.

"Uh, I apologize for the inconvenience a while ago." The mayor said as he wiped sweat off from his forehead. "This has been going on for months already and the people are desperate."

"I understand." The man nodded.

"Now, before we continue, it would be better if I knew how to address you…"

"Ah, yes. I forgot I haven't introduced myself yet. I go by the name Dio."

"Oh, alright then, Mr. Dio." The mayor then took out a manila envelope stuffed with papers and passed it to Dio. "Inside the envelope is the basic information of all the missing people. There are currently nineteen people missing. The oldest is twenty, the youngest five."

"That's a lot of people." Dio commented as he leafed through the papers. "Let's get started."

"As you wish." The mayor nodded his head and started to tell Dio the brief report of each missing person case, and when they finished, it was already dark outside. "That's about it. If you want to know more just tell me and I'll borrow the files from the sheriff."

"I don't think that would be necessary, but thank you." Dio stood up, envelope in hand. "Do you mind if I borrow these?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. It's quite late, let me bring you to the inn."

Dio followed the mayor to the outside and they passed through the originally noisy but now silent market place. There wasn't a soul to be seen, making the already cold night even more dead.

"Quite a contrast." Dio commented.

"Huh? Yes. Ever since the disappearances started people became too afraid to come out of their homes."

They reached the inn and immediately went in to avoid the cold. Since Dio was pretty attention grabbing, the innkeeper saw him first and gave him a suspicious look; however, when he saw the mayor standing beside the stranger he immediately warmed up.

"Why, if it isn't the old mayor! What brings you here at this time of the night?"

"You aren't young yourself." The mayor chuckled. "As you can see, I have brought a guest here. Would you be kind enough to give him the best room you have?"

"No just a normal room will be fine." Dio interrupted, but the mayor insisted he get the best room, and since this is the mayor they were talking to, both the innkeeper and Dio had to comply. "Fine, but at least tell me the room rates."

"No, no, no." The mayor shook his head. "I will be responsible for all the payments."

"Um…Mr. mayor? Might I ask what's going on here?" The innkeeper was lost. It was a rare sight indeed to see the mayor this willing to pay for someone else's expenses.

"Oh, I forgot. This man here is Mr. Dio. He will be investigating the disappearances."

"Investigate? But isn't the sheriff at it already?"

The mayor sighed. "Yes, but he still hasn't found anything at all in these four months. I believe it's time we sought some help from somebody else. Of course, I don't mean to offend the sheriff in any way. So, what do you say, Mr. Dio?"

Dio looked at the mayor, and something tells him it will be extremely difficult to change his mind. "I said I'll do it, but I don't guarantee that I'll be able to find something. If ever I can't solve the case I'll pay for all of my expenses."

"Deal. Now, are you going to give him the key or not?" The mayor then turned to face the innkeeper, and the innkeeper sighed as he took out the key.

"Here you go. Your room is at the end of the hallway on the third floor."

"Thank you." Dio received the key and proceeded to go up the stairs.

"Do you want me to send you some food later?"

Dio hesitated for a moment before he shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry at all. Thank you."

"Good night, Mr. Dio." The mayor said and turned to the innkeeper to discuss some things.

After Dio reached his room, he collapsed immediately on the bed without even looking at how fancy the room is. He was tired. He came to this town as fast as he could because of the rumors of several disappearances, but he didn't expect every single person would come up to him and beg him to find the missing people, or at least what was left of them if ever the worst happens. After a few minutes of doing absolutely doing nothing, he stood up and started to undress. He still had work to do, and he figured it would be better to take a shower first before continuing his work.

There was a knock on the door just as Dio was dressing up and he quickly threw a shirt over his head as he went to see who it was. Standing outside was the innkeeper, who was holding a tray of food and a steaming mug of what smelled like ale.

"Courtesy of the mayor." The innkeeper said as he forced it to Dio, afraid that he might refuse it.

"That old man…I can't believe he's doing all this for me." Dio received the tray.

"Same here." The innkeeper shrugged. "He must have put a lot of trust in you to treat you like this."

"And a lot of pressure, too." Dio laughed bitterly as he took out a few coins from his pocket and passed it to the innkeeper.

"Thank you very much. Have a good night, mister." The innkeeper smiled as he took the tip and left.

Dio placed the tray on the table, beside the envelope, and he sighed. He could do it tomorrow, but he's wasted enough time already. Plus, he probably won't be able to sleep until he has studied each case thoroughly, at the very least.

"Let's see here…" He sat down and took all of the papers out from the envelope. Looks like it'll be a long night.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Good morning, mister." The innkeeper greeted Dio as he saw him walking down the stairs. "Gee, you look awfully tired."

It was early in the morning and there weren't any people in the inn except for Dio and the innkeeper.

"I was too busy to sleep last night…"

"So you didn't sleep at all?" The innkeeper asked as he set a plate of toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon, together with a cup of steaming coffee, in front of Dio.

"Pretty much. Is the coffee refillable?"

"Of course."

"Then…" Dio drank the coffee in one gulp. "Please give me another one."

"O-oi! Don't you think you're a bit too fast? That was freshly made _hot_ coffee." The innkeeper gave Dio a surprised look but still poured more coffee into his cup.

Dio shrugged as he finished yet another cup of coffee in seconds. "Since I didn't sleep at all last night, I need a lot of caffeine in me. More, please."

"You're going to break your body someday with that kind of lifestyle." The innkeeper poured another serving of coffee into Dio's cup before disappearing into a room behind the counter, which was most probably the kitchen, to get more coffee for his customer.

As Dio was left alone, his thoughts lingered on the innkeeper's words as he started to eat. _You're going to break your body someday with that kind of lifestyle._ Dio chuckled. Thanks to Mrs. Drevis this body of his is much stronger than his old one. It would take more than an awful lifestyle to bring him back to death's embrace.

When the innkeeper came back with more freshly brewed coffee, Dio had already finished eating his breakfast and was reading the reports again. He drank a few more cups before he left a tip on the table and headed out. When he went out the streets were already full of people. Despite the disappearances, lives still went on. They couldn't close their business just because their child went missing, right?

Dio decided he would go visit the mayor first before he went to investigate the forest. He arrived at the mayor's office and took off his hood; however, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. The people in the town hall seemed distressed about something, and they all told him to ask the mayor about it. So he went to the office of the mayor, but the door opened before he could even knock.

"Mr. Dio! Just in time! I was about to go and find you."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Dio frowned. He could tell that the mayor was extremely upset about something.

"Well, about that...I think it would be better if we discussed this in my office." He pulled Dio in and made him sit on a chair in front of his desk and the mayor himself sat in front of him, just like yesterday. "You see, we just received a report of another missing person."

"Another one?" Dio frowned. So that was why everyone was upset. "Tell me the details."

"The victim's name is Jean Rooney, currently 17 years old. Her parents said that she went to the forest to find some food yesterday but never returned. They just reported it a while ago." The mayor shook his head. "This is the 20th already…"

"I see…" Dio said. "I may have some ideas about this case, but I'm not really sure unless I prove it. Don't worry, I'll definitely find out who the kidnapper is."

"Thank you, Mr. Dio. If you need anything just tell me."

"It's alright. I appreciate the gesture, though. Now, I think I should get going. Good luck with your work, Mr. mayor."

"And good luck to yours. I'm afraid I cannot send you out right now…"

"Don't worry; I'm fine." Dio then stepped out of the office and proceeded to the doors leading outside the building and to the streets. Today was different from yesterday, as nobody gathered around him anymore. Must've been the mayor who told the people to not create inconveniences for him. There were still a few stares, however, and Dio noticed that all of the stares came from young girls. He then realized that he forgot to put his hood on.

"Damn it." Dio pulled the hood over his head and walked briskly to where there were more people in order to lose the bunch of girls who were tailing him. After a while, he slipped into an alley and arrived at the other side of the town, relieved that the girls weren't following him anymore. Not that he didn't like it; it's just that all of those confessions get annoying over time. Besides, he doesn't like people who judge others based on their appearance.

Suddenly, he heard someone whispering at him, calling him over. Dio turned to see a man who was in his mid-fifties staring intensely at him. Before he approached the strange man, though, he saw a woman wearing a maid uniform scurry away. He didn't think much of it, and threw the idea at the back of his head as he stood in front of the man who called him.

"May I help you?"

"You must be that stranger the mayor was talking about." Judging from his voice, Dio instantly knew that the man was a smoker.

"And who might you be?" Dio asked, even though he had an idea on who this man might be.

"I'm the sheriff of this town." The man said as he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. "Pleased to meet ya."

Dio could tell that the sheriff _wasn't_ pleased at all. "Ah, yes. I wanted to meet you yesterday but time was lacking. I'm Dio, pleased to meet you, too." Though Dio was more amused than pleased, and he did nothing to hide it.

The sheriff glowered at him. "You must be curious about why I called your attention."

"Actually, yes." Dio nodded.

"I'm the sheriff of this town and this is my case, so you should stop butting into our business and disappear along with that pretty face of yours before I kick you out myself…is what I want to say, and I definitely would."

"Would?" Dio raised an eyebrow. The sheriff is getting more and more amusing. He liked amusing people.

"Yes, would." The sheriff grumbled, displeased at the fact that he had to say it twice. "I understand why the mayor would do something as outrageous as let an outsider do the investigations. It's been more than four months already and I haven't got a single clue as to who might be the kidnapper. Not even a suspect! People are losing faith in me."

"Well, don't say that. You gave it your best, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid 'my best' isn't good enough." The sheriff sighed. "I can't believe I'm actually going to do this…"

"Eh…?" Somehow Dio is starting to have a bad feeling of what might the sheriff do next.

Then, the sheriff bowed at him, his body creating an almost perfect ninety-degree angle. "You are this town's only hope! Please, help us!"

_I knew it…_ Dio thought as his eye twitched. Though they were at the past of the town where there weren't much people, there were still some townsfolk who gave them strange looks. "Alright, alright, I get it. Now, please, stand up! You're creating a scene here!"

"I can't believe I actually did it…" The sheriff mumbled to himself in embarrassment.

_Oi, I should be the embarrassed here…_Dio's growing amusement towards the sheriff was suddenly diminished into nothing. "Anyway, I already received that request from the mayor, you didn't have to trouble yourself."

"I know, but I thought I should show some sincerity, even to a stranger like you."

_Then that was _too much_ sincerity._ Another twitch in the eye, though it went unnoticed by the sheriff; or maybe he was too ignorant to notice it. "I appreciate it. In fact, I was just in the middle of investigating. Since everything's clear, I suppose I should go back to investigating and you continue…uh…whatever a sheriff's gotta do, alright?"

"Absolutely." The sheriff gave Dio a salute and went back to wherever he was supposed to be. After the sheriff left, Dio let out a suppressed sigh as he continued to walk to the town gates while taking out a piece of paper from his pocket.

It was just a simple paper, and on it was written the names, age, and date of disappearance of the missing people:

_Jessica, 14, April 16__th_

_Ben, 9, April 20__th_

_Joseph, 17, April 22__nd_

_Alice, 11, April 30__th_

_Andrew, 6, May 2__nd_

_Erika, 5, May 10__th_

_Michael, 19, May 15__th_

_Grace, 20, May 16__th_

_Angelika, 8, May 23__rd_

_Lizzie, 15, May 31__st_

_Aaron, 18, June 8__th_

_Bryan, 16, June 10__th_

_Vincent, 11, June 16__th_

_Amelia, 12, June 20__th_

_Mary, 13, June 25__th_

_Ralph, 17, July 1__st_

_Albert, 16, July 10__th_

_Jane, 14, July 10__th_

_Julia, 14, July 10__th_

And at the end of the list, Dio added another name…

_Jean, 17, August 23__rd_

There wasn't any particular pattern in the string of disappearances, and the one of the only two similarities they share is that they were all last seen in the forest. The other similarity is that, excluding the last three people, who were siblings, is that none of them look alike, but they all have exceptional looks, especially the children. Why would the kidnapper kidnap pretty children? To sell them as slaves? Or maybe there's another reason? Anyway, he won't get an answer if he doesn't confront the kidnapper, so he might as well search the forest for some possible clues.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

After searching for a while, Dio wiped the sweat from his forehead as he sat down beside a tree. "This is harder than I thought it would be…"

He's been searching the whole afternoon and he couldn't find any marks that would show signs of struggle or anything like that, and the only prints he found were from his own shoes. However, his right hand felt some strange bumps on the soil and Dio almost jumped up, elated to finally find something.

After observing the marks for a while he concluded that it came from a horse-drawn carriage, and it's still pretty fresh. Also, judging from the distance of the hoof prints, the driver was in a hurry. Enough to make a horse gallop at full speed in a dense forest like this with a carriage still attached. It's a wonder the carriage didn't tip over.

"Better track it down; it might lead me to the kidnapper." Dio followed the tracks, and when he arrived at the end of it, the sun was already setting. The tracks end there, where he was standing, with no continuation whatsoever. It's as if the carriage had disappeared.

Dio gritted his teeth. "Damn it. A dead end, huh?" He decided to return to the town for now and come back the following day. Before he left, though, he looked back to where the tracks ended. He has a strong feeling that after all these years of searching, he will finally meet that person he was told to find.

"Aya…" Dio whispered her name, which was then covered by the sound of rustling leaves, and then he left.

* * *

So? What do you think? Please be kind enough to leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello guys, here's the new chapter! I apologize for the delay. I know I said that I plan to post a chapter per week. Damn school and all of the teachers who bombard us with tons of school work (even if I say so, I also gotta blame myself for my own laziness) (plus, I recently got addicted to J-dramas)

Well, I said that I plan to make this story short, so it'll probably end in two to three chapters. I'll try to make it within five. I already have the ending planned out, and it's just waiting in my head until I decide to end this story.

Oh, do you guys know about a new game called Misao? (Knew about it from Pewds. Lol, Pewdelia) Apparently, it's a (sort of) sequel to Mad Father, though it doesn't focus on Aya and Dio etc. Ogre is present, and some other familiar characters. I've heard a rumor (since I didn't play the game myself ((too much of a wuss, remember?)) so it's just a rumor from the internet), that a character there is actually the fake Aya that was created by that psychotic father of hers O_O. And I've seen all the endings. Damn, the creator is one sick bastard (no offense). All of the endings are sick and depressing. Similar to Mad Father (in terms of the feels).

Anyway, that's all for my (unnecessary) rant. Hope you guys enjoy this new chapter, and don't forget to leave a review.

P.S. I usually frown upon guest reviews, so as much as possible, why not create an account? It's free and let's you follow the story and sends notifications for new chapters/stories. You don't have to write a story to have an account, too. I'm not forcing you guys to make an account, though, it's wholly up to you.

* * *

Chapter 3 Encounter

Aya heard the front door open and went to see who it was. She almost bumped into a panicking Maria, who was back from her shopping earlier than expected with a terrified expression.

"Maria? You're back early. Did something happen?"

"M-mistress! Terrible news! In the town…there's a foreigner…!"

"Calm down, Maria." Aya said as she helped Maria sit on a chair. "What are you panicking about?"

"The town…t-they've hired an outsider to do the investigations…"

"What're you so scared about? They were going to seek help from other towns sooner or later, I thought you knew that." Aya held Maria's trembling shoulders.

"N-no, it's the man they've hired…he l-looks just like that b-boy…"

"Boy?"

"The golden haired boy…in the m-mansion…years ago…"

"Silly Maria." Aya chuckled. "You and I both know he's dead. There's no way a dead person can be revived. That man you saw just looked like the boy, nothing more. Though I suppose I, too, would panic if I saw someone resemble a dead person."

"I guess I overreacted." Maria let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Aya smiled. "Now, will you help me move some furniture? I need some space for a new display cabinet."

"Of course, mistress." Maria then stood up and followed Aya to the living room, where all of her masterpieces were being displayed.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"And now you look rejuvenated, like you were resurrected from the dead." The innkeeper said as he placed a cup of coffee and a plate of sandwiches in front of Dio. "Honestly, youngsters these days don't know how to appreciate their own body."

"Says the person who downs a bottle of whiskey every night before going to sleep." Dio gave the innkeeper a smirk.

"Urk, how did you know that?"

"Your daughter told me so." Dio pointed to the young girl serving the table a few feet away from them. "We were chatting last night."

"Huh. I bet she started the conversation, didn't she?"

"Yup, not to mention with a ridiculously low shirt collar." Dio said as he calmly took a sip of his coffee. The innkeeper, however, wasn't that calm.

"What?!" The innkeeper almost slammed the table. "I suppose you didn't do anything to her, did you?"

"Of course not, I'm not one of those men. Besides, my interests lay on someone else."

"That stupid girl. Once there's a foreigner in town she'll try to seduce them. Is she wishing that some rich and handsome noble would suddenly come to a town as small as this and marry her? Bah, all girls cling onto the same bullshit fairy tale ending. I guess I'd have to lecture her on this cruel reality we live in."

"She'll probably hate you if you crush her idealisms."

"So what?" The innkeeper frowned. "She'll be even more heartbroken if she continues to cling onto her romantic ending and other whatnot. And even if she hates me I'm still her father; heck, if she suddenly becomes a psychotic serial killer I'd still love her, though I would run for my life first."

His statement reminded Dio of a certain someone, who still unconditionally loved her father despite the inhumane things he has done. But then, she was already slightly insane at that time; playing with a mini chainsaw, killing innocent animals, and heartless reaction to the screams and blood. One would certainly doubt that the person he was thinking about was just a ten year old back then. His train of thought was broken when he noticed the innkeeper's daughter approaching his table. It was a good thing the innkeeper noticed this, too, and intervened before his daughter could say or do anything.

"Will you stop bothering him already? He already has a girlfriend."

"For your information, I didn't say…"

"But you said you're interested in someone else, which is practically the same thing. And you, young lady, you need to stop hitting on every single outsider you meet."

The guests that were sitting a few tables away from Dio had already left and they were the only ones in the building, so the innkeeper started lecturing his daughter right then and there, which made Dio feel quite awkward.

"I'll leave you to your business then." Dio finished his food and coffee, left a tip on the table, and went out of the inn, unwilling to stay in that awkward atmosphere any longer.

The sun was high and Dio pressed his lips into a tight line. He didn't mind sunny weather, but it's a totally different thing when he's wearing a long cloak around his entire body, yet he didn't want to take his hood off. It was during these times that Dio wished he had plainer looks. Well, he could always ask someone to break his nose for him, but he's pretty sure it will hurt. A lot. Sweat was starting to form at the back of his neck and Dio hurried his footsteps, eager to reach the forest and take off his cloak where nobody could see him. When he was nearing the gate, however, somebody called him, and he sighed as he turned to see who it was.

"Good day to you, Mr. Dio." A strange man wearing a black suit and fedora even under this weather said as he approached Dio.

"Good day to you, too, stranger. Do you need something?" Dio stared at the man. Suspicious as the strange man was, nobody around them paid him any mind, like Dio was the only who could see him. And he looked deathly pale, almost…inhuman. Dio was sure he saw a pair of red eyes under the hat, but the man quickly bowed his head, hiding his eyes.

"Not really. Just curious on the progress of your investigation. I heard that you've started searching the forest at the east side of the town?"

"Yes. News spread fast, don't they? I've only told the innkeeper about it just this morning and I've barely left the inn for ten minutes." Dio frowned, showing obvious distrust at the man.

"You know how people like to gossip around, especially when it's about something grave, like the missing children case you're currently handling right now. Oh, I can see from your face that you don't like me very much, so I'll just move along now. Don't worry though, I'm sure we will meet in the near future; after all, we have to finish this conversation." The strange man touched the tip of his hat in a farewell gesture and moved past Dio, disappearing into the crowd a few seconds after despite being in that easy-to-spot black suit and hat.

Dio was glad the conversation was over and he quickly walked out of the town gate to the forest and took off his cloak, though the heat wasn't the only reason he hastened his footsteps. That man was strange, and it was the bad kind of strange. It's like the feeling he gets when somebody dies, especially if its murder, or when a person goes missing and is never heard of again. That feeling of nausea that we often times feel in the lower part of abdomen when we ate some bad food, or experience something so horrible, and sometimes putrid, that we want to vomit our organs out. It was this kind of feeling that Dio felt when he faced the man, like he was facing Death himself. He doesn't want to see or hear of that man ever again, yet he sounded so confident that they will meet in the future. Dio sighed, deciding that it was better to concentrate on the task at hand rather than let the man bother his thoughts.

Dio went back to where he left off yesterday, at the end of the tracks. It's impossible for the horse-drawn carriage to suddenly disappear and let the tracks stop there. Flying was even more impossible. As Dio investigated the area in hopes of finding a clue, he bumped into an old maid who was on her way home carrying a basket full of goods she bought from the town market. Judging from her expression, she wasn't expecting to see him at all.

"Good morning." Dio greeted.

"G-good morning." The maid stuttered. She just stood there, unsure whether to casually start a conversation or just leave him be.

"You looked like you just finished your shopping. Do you live in the forest?"

"Uh, yes."

"Really? Nobody ever told me that there were people living outside of the town. Do you mind if I go check it out?" Dio remembered that the missing children were all last seen, or thought to be, in the forest, so learning that somebody lives in the forest right outside of town is something he cannot ignore. Plus, the maid was acting nervously, like she was afraid of him.

The maid was silent for a few seconds, and Dio took note of her awkward silence. "I don't see why not, though you'd have to ask my mistress first."

"Of course." Dio bowed. "I'll accompany you home. I suppose your mistress is there?" He reached out and offered to take the heavy basket. She gladly passed it to him.

"Yes, she doesn't like crowded places."

"I understand, but why do you have to live in a forest? Isn't that a bit inconvenient?" Dio asked as he walked alongside the maid through the forest. He noticed that they were walking further away from the tracks.

"Oh no. Actually, it would be more inconvenient for her if we lived in the town. It would be hard for her to walk to the forest everyday and collect herbs."

"Herbs? Is your mistress an herbalist?"

"You could call her that, but she's more of a doctor. She uses herbs to make her own medicine and ointment, since it would be difficult for us if we used the expensive medicine from the city and not receive any payment."

"So you do it for free? Strange, nobody told me that there was a doctor that sees patients for free."

"That's because no one believes she's a doctor. Most of the people who go to our clinic just heard of her through various rumors. Oh, we're nearing the house."

A few more minutes of walking and Dio saw a small cottage in the middle of a clearing, and smoke was coming out of its chimney, indicating that someone was in the house. He thought he smelled something strange. The maid noticed this, too.

"Mistress must be making the ointment for rashes. The product has a faint scent of mint, but the process produces a somewhat…peculiar smell." She explained as she fished out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door. "Mistress, I'm back. We have a guest."

"A guest? Please let them wait at the living room. I'll just finish up the medicine and I'll be there in a short while." The voice of the mistress sounded surprisingly young.

The maid took the basket back from Dio. "Please follow me to the living room."

Dio followed the maid into the house. Along the way, he took a good look at his surroundings. From the outside the house looked quite small, but it was surprisingly spacious inside, and the interior was decorated in a way to give a comfortable and relaxing feeling. But instead of relaxing like the furnishings suggest, Dio was alert. For all he knows he might be giving himself up willingly to the kidnapper, or kidnappers, for that matter.

"By the way, I still don't know your name. I'm…"

"Mr. Dio." The maid interrupted. "I've heard from the townspeople. I'm just mere maid, though, so you don't have to know my name."

"But it will be hard to address you, and I surely don't want to call you 'maid'."

"If you insist, it's Maria." She sighed as she led Dio to the living room. "Please, sit wherever you like and make yourself at home. Mistress will meet you shortly."

Maria disappeared into a doorway leading further into the house and came out again holding a tray with a cup of coffee. She offered it to Dio, and Dio thanked her, though he didn't drink it, and then she disappeared again.

Dio was left in the warmly furnished living room. He took a seat at one of the sofas, directly in front of a large display cabinet full of dolls, and since it was pretty eye catching, he took his time observing the dolls. Except for the crackling of the fire in the fireplace and Dio's own breathing, nothing else could be heard as he stared at the cabinet. The dolls looked eerily life-like, like they could just jump up and start talking any second.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" A voice said, tearing Dio's eyes away from the dolls. Standing in the doorway was a woman with shoulder length black hair and big, blue eyes. She was wearing a dark blue dress with brown lace-up boots, and in her hands was another doll with grayish black hair and beautiful, almost real, green eyes. She walked up to the cabinet and placed the doll on an empty slot at the top shelf. "They're my masterpieces, each and every one of them."

"Y-yes." Dio nodded, his eyes now glued to the lady. "I've got to admit, they're all…breathtaking."

"I'm Aya Drevis, owner of this little clinic. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dio." Aya extended her right hand, Dio received it in a firm yet gentle grip, and they shook hands. "I've heard from Maria, and she said you want to check the house out?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." Dio nodded again, not once did he take his eyes off her.

"Of course I'd assist you in this case. The kidnappings are just plain horrible, and even if I don't have children of my own, I can imagine how much pain their parents are going through." Aya sighed. "You can turn this house upside down if that would help. Want me to guide you through the rooms?"

"Thank you very much, but I prefer to work alone. It helps me concentrate."

"Of course. If you need anything, Maria and I will be at kitchen." Aya bowed her head at Dio and disappeared through the same doorway Maria went through a while ago. Dio assumed it lead to the kitchen.

After Aya was out of both sight and hearing vicinity, Dio released his breath and inhaled deeply. He didn't even realize that he was holding his breath. He had a feeling that the mistress Maria was talking about would be Aya, and he was mentally preparing himself before he met her, but somehow he still felt awfully nervous when she showed up. Or perhaps it wasn't nervousness but something else? Anyway, now that she's gone Dio returned to his cool and collected self and started his investigation, starting from the living room, then slowly make his way to the other rooms in the house, though he decided to leave the dolls for last.

The cottage wasn't big to begin with but Dio has made sure to have checked the rooms for at least five times before moving to the other as to not oversee every single detail which was very time consuming. When he realized the time, the sun was already setting, so he proceeded to the kitchen to report his progress.

Aya was reading a book at the dining table while Maria was preparing dinner. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of spices and the scent of whatever Maria was cooking in the pot made Dio's stomach rumble, and he realized that he hasn't eaten anything at all since this morning. Aya noticed him standing in the doorway and closed her book after placing a bookmark.

"Good evening, Mr. Dio. I hope your investigation is going smoothly?"

"Yes, though I haven't finished investigating the entire place yet. It's getting quite late, so I'll return to the town for now and come back tomorrow morning." Dio said, looking outside the window.

"I see. Would you care joining us for dinner? Maria makes the best stew."

"Thank you for the offer, but I really should get going. Besides, I think it's a bit inappropriate for me to stay in the house of a lady I just met." _Though this isn't exactly our first encounter with each other._

"Alright, then. Let me see you out. I would be a terrible host if I didn't do that, at the very least." Aya put down her book and stood up.

"If you insist." Dio bowed and followed her to the front door.

Dio put on his cloak and walked down the porch while Aya watched him. When he reached the ground, he turned around to face her. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Ms. Drevis."

"Yes, see you tomorrow." Aya returned Dio's gaze, her deep blue eyes meeting Dio's warm hazel. Their stare continued for an unusual amount of time before Maria's voice snapped both of them back to reality, and Maria appeared just in time to see them avert their eyes from each other.

"Mistress, dinner is ready. And Mr. Dio is still…?"

"Oh, um, we were just chatting about the kidnappings and Mr. Dio's overall progress in the case, nothing else, right, Mr. Dio?"

"Yes, uh, anyway, I've got to go. Goodbye." Dio said and disappeared into the forest in a hurry.

"What were you two actually doing?" Maria asked her mistress who, for some reason, wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I told you, we were talking about the kidnappings. C'mon, the food will get cold."

Aya went in the house and Maria followed suit. Both of them didn't say a word as they entered the kitchen and Aya sat down while Maria stood beside her. All was going well, and Aya was enjoying her meal.

"Could it be…you're smitten with that young man?" Maria suddenly blurted out.

Fortunately, there wasn't any food in Aya's mouth when Maria asked, she has seen to that. "W-what are you talking about, Maria?"

Maria sighed. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, mistress."

"Why would I be smitten with a man I've just met? It's true that his looks are beyond average and he has a nice and polite attitude, but I've met several men with the same qualities, yet none of them has made me feel 'smitten' with them, so I don't see the reason why is I should feel so for Mr. Dio." Aya said calmly, though the blush on her face told Maria something else.

"If you say so, mistress." She decided to let the topic drop. For now.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Back at the inn, Dio entered hastily and immediately entered his room after greeting the innkeeper with a short "evening". After entering his room, Dio threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling, his heart still beating rapidly. It has been like that since they tore their eyes away from each other, Dio realizing just then that they were having a sort of "staring contest".

His mind wandered back to Aya. After all those years, it's natural for a person's appearance to change, that doesn't exclude Aya, but even after those changes, her eyes remained the same, a dazzling deep-sea blue. Though Dio also saw the madness in her eyes, the same hint of insanity that was already present in her childhood years, which definitely grew over time, but well hidden, unlike her father. One would doubt a beauty like her would be the culprit of all those disappearances. As for the children, he's afraid that all of them have perished. He knew all of this right after he saw the dolls. There were more than twenty dolls on the shelf, the rest animals. Looks like she did some practice first before switching targets. Dio sighed. He promised Mrs. Drevis that he would prevent Aya from becoming like her father, and if she did, he would bring her back. The problem is, how?

"Either way, I've got to gain her trust first." Dio said as he jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. It was during times like these that he especially appreciated a nice, hot bath in the tub.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Good night, Maria." Aya said before entering her room.

"Good night, mistress." Maria bowed.

Aya then went in her room and lied down on the bed, though her head was too busy thinking about someone else to enter dreamland just yet. Dio's face kept on lingering in her mind, and the way he stared at her a while go triggered something inside of her, yet she doesn't know what it is that's making her feel this way. Maybe she really is smitten with him, but that alone doesn't explain what she's feeling right now. She felt a sense of recognition, a familiarity towards him that she couldn't explain. Could it be because he looks so strikingly similar with the boy she met years before? That's not it and Aya knows it. Aya then remembered his eyes and his stare. She could feel the heat creep up her face as she remembered how his eyes were glued to her as they talked. She raised her slightly trembling fingers to cool down her heated face and exhaled slowly.

"Dio…" Aya silently called his name in the darkness as she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

So? What do you think? Please be kind enough to leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone. I've been receiving a lot of PMs and reviews wondering about this chapter. It's been roughly two months since my last update, and I have a reason for that. However, I'm afraid if I continue blabbering it will just annoy you, so let's continue with the story, a'right?

* * *

Chapter 4 Madness...or not?

Aya struggled to focus on the book laid in front of her as she sat on the living room sofa. After a while, she closed the book in frustration. It was early in the morning and she has already exhausted every possible way to kill the time. She put the book back on the bookshelf and went in the kitchen, where Maria was.

Maria was wiping the dishes dry when her mistress came in, and she watched silently as Aya filled a glass with water and finished it in a few huge gulps.

"You seem a bit restless today, mistress." Maria commented as she continued wiping the plates.

"I am." Aya sighed as she put the glass down in the sink. "I can't seem to concentrate on anything today."

"Have you tried drinking some herbal tea to calm you down?"

"I drank two pots already. Whatever it is in the tea that calms people down is clearly not working on me." Aya leaned on the kitchen counter. "I wanna do something, but I can't focus on what I'm doing. It's frustrating and I can't do anything about it."

Just as Aya finished talking, the phone in the living room rang. Maria wiped and stacked the last plate on the over-head cabinet and went to get the phone, leaving Aya in the kitchen. When Maria exited the room, Aya lifted herself up and she sat on the counter, her feet dangling a few inches above the ground. A few minutes after, Maria came back.

"Who was it?"

"The post office. Our package has arrived and they're asking us to retrieve it now."

"Now? What's the rush?"

"Apparently there will be a festival in the town later this afternoon and all the shops are closing early for the preparations, post office included."

"Can't we get it some other day?"

"They informed me that this festival will last for days, two weeks at most, and they're asking the people to retrieve all their mail and packages so there won't be any problems afterwards. Should I go get it?" Maria asked her mistress.

Aya hesitated for a while, but nodded her head. "I suppose it's necessary. For how long will you be out?"

"If I don't encounter any problems, less than an hour." Maria said as she went to get her cloak. "In the meantime, will mistress be alright?"

"I'm not some ten year old kid anymore, Maria, I can look after the house myself, and it's not like this is the first time I've done it." Aya chuckled.

"Of course, but I meant Mr. Dio. Will you be alright when he comes and I'm still not back?"

"He did say that he was going to visit again, but he didn't say what time, though I'm pretty sure he won't be here this early. Now go, can't let the post office close on us, can we?"

Maria bowed and left the house. Aya stood there until Maria disappeared behind the thick forest, and then she went back into the living room. She sat back on the sofa, contemplating on how to deal with Dio when he arrives.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Dio woke with a heavy feeling in his chest that morning. He spent most of the night thinking about Aya, and even in his sleep, he dreamt of her. He thought of possible ways on how to bring Aya back to sanity, on how to gain her trust and, even for a slight a moment, imagined what it would be like if Aya never walked the path of darkness and they met again under more normal circumstances, but quickly shook his head. _Unless I have a time machine, it's too late to think about that now._

He took his time getting dressed and slowly went downstairs to eat breakfast. The innkeeper, however, just gave him his food and went away. The tired and irritated look was probably obvious on his face, but he was grateful. He didn't want nor have the time to make small talk to anyone.

After drinking another tremendous amount of scalding hot coffee within a few minutes, he went back to his room, rather than set out to Aya's house. He wasn't ready to face her just yet without a concrete plan in mind. While thinking about Aya, his mind slowly wandered on to the stranger he met yesterday, the one in the suit and fedora. He has no proof, but he's almost sure that the strange man has something to do with all of this.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

When Dio left the inn, it was nearing noon, and he was overwhelmed by the people. He learned from the innkeeper that there will be a huge festival taking place shortly and everyone in and out of the town will participate, but he was still surprised by the number of people and the atmosphere around the town. Colored ribbons and flags were hanging everywhere, tents and stalls were being set up, and entertainers and performers were getting ready. It didn't feel like a simple festival anymore, it was more like a carnival. In fact, his originally nervous and sober mood was slowly being tainted by the festive air around the place. This must be a very important festival for the people.

Unfortunately, he needs to attend to something more important, or else he would've joined the people instead.

After managing to squeeze pass a hoard of busy workers working on the stalls, he reached the town plaza and was about to go around it, since it was also filled with people, when someone caught his attention.

It was the Red-Eyed Stranger again, and he was staring straight at Dio.

He was surprised and stopped dead on his tracks. He wasn't expecting to see him at all. The subtle smile on the stranger's face was eerie, more so when all Dio could see was the lower half of his dead-pale face. It was the kind of smile that obviously told the whole world he has something in mind, and all he has to do left is to wait and let the fun begin. Of course, Dio has no doubt that whatever the stranger is anticipating to see, it certainly involves him, whether he likes it or not.

A tap on his shoulder made him turn around to a bunch of not-so-pleased civilians telling to move or make way, since he has stopped in the middle of the street and is obstructing the way, making it difficult for the people to work.

"S-sorry." Dio apologized and stepped aside. When he looked back at where the strange man was, he was gone, vanished. "Shit. What the hell is going on?"

That man was not human, Dio is absolutely sure of that. But if he isn't human, then what the hell is he, and what the hell does he want with him?

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Dio was about to knock on the door of Aya's house when he noticed something strange. He silently went down the porch and knelt down beside something that would resemble tracks from a carriage. He judged that it couldn't be more than a few days old, and he quickly remembered the tracks he found in the forest two days ago. He followed the tracks to the back of the house and saw the carriage beside a stable, where a horse was staying.

"They didn't tell me anything about a horse _or_ a carriage." Dio frowned as he said. He took out his list from his pocket then he remembered something. All of the children except for Albert, who probably just accompanied his twin sisters, either had a sickly constitution or they had some kind chronic disease, and all of them were from poor families.

"All of it makes sense now." Dio murmured to himself. "What's left is how they lured the children to them, but thinking about it, it wouldn't be too hard. I really have to stop her madness before somebody gets involved again."

He returned to the front of the house and knocked on the door. Shortly after, he was received by Aya who had a surprised expression on her face.

"Judging from your expression, I'm guessing you forgot I was visiting again today?"

"N-no, not at all!" Aya said as she let him in and took his cloak. "I just wasn't expecting you to come here this early."

"I see. Where's Maria?"

"She went to the post office to retrieve a package. Would you like to continue what you left off yesterday?"

"No." Dio shook his head as he sat on the couch, facing the doll cabinet. "Today I'd like to talk to you."

"Ah, interrogation, I see, of course. But before we start, would you like something to drink?"

Dio shook his head again and motioned for Aya to sit down. Surely, if what he says accidentally presses her 'madness' button, he'd be in a clear disadvantage, seeing that he is in enemy territory. But then, he's a guy and she's a girl, she can never win against him in terms of strength, and he can definitely outrun her if the situation calls for it.

Dio watched her as she sat down, and Aya did her best to act naturally. She wasn't sure if Dio bought it or not.

"Okay, then. Ms. Drevis…" Dio started, throwing in honorifics and saying her last name, trying to make the conversation as formal as possible.

"Please, call me Aya."

"I'm afraid I can't do that until this conversation is over, Ms. Drevis." Dio shook his head.

Aya sighed. "Fine, I'll do the same then, _Mr. _Dio. Forgive me if I don't know your last name, however."

"My last name isn't important. And we're getting off topic now."

"My apologies. Please, continue with what you have to do."

Dio inhaled sharply, his eyes glued to Aya's. "I have a lot of questions to ask, so I apologize in advance if I take too much of your time. First of all, do you know of a man named Alfred Drevis?"

Dio was staring at Aya the entire time, watching her reaction, and he caught a slight twitch on her right eyelid.

"Well, both Alfred and Drevis are common names, aren't they? And I am not very good with names. Maybe I've met a man with such a name, but who's to tell that we're talking of the same person?"

"Indeed, it is difficult to identify a person with only a name, especially when there might be people who share the same name, but surely you wouldn't forget about your own father?"

A slight pause.

"Ah, yes, my father. It has been very long since he died, I can barely remember how he looks like." This time, there wasn't any reaction on her face at all. "But, how do you know about my father?"

"A personal experience. I've met him in my…younger years." Dio said. "And I believe he was also a doctor who likes to take part in…experiments?"

"Yes, although he never allowed me inside his lab."

"I see. How and when did he die?"

"Why are you asking these questions?" Aya asked Dio back, her eyes cold and calculating.

"I apologize if I offended you. I tend to read records of the people in the town I work in, but I couldn't see your file at all. I just want to know some information of the people I'm working with. If you are uncomfortable with the question, we can skip it if you'd like."

"No, no. I'm fine with it, actually. My father died almost twelve years ago, in a lab accident. It was quite…bloody."

"If it isn't insulting to you, may I ask your age?"

"I had my 22nd birthday five months ago."

"So you were only 10 when that happened? It must've been traumatizing to witness it."

"Well, it all seems fuzzy to me right now. Must've been the effects of the trauma. But I do remember the scene was filled with blood."

"I see. What about your mother? Monika Drevis, was it?" Dio noticed Aya clenched and relaxed her fists when he mentioned Mrs. Drevis' name.

"Ah, my mother, she…died of a sickness when I was still young."

"Then you became an orphan? I believe it was Maria who took care of you?"

"Yes, she's been by my side ever since I can remember. After the events, she took me somewhere far away to protect me. The mansion was then burned to the ground."

_Yes, I remember that._ Dio thought to himself. "Burned down? Why would anyone do that?"

"During that time, we met a…acquaintance. He, among many others who worked for my father, held a certain hatred for him. After my father died, we decided it was best if I left the place, since it was filled with such tragic memories, and with all ties severed, he burned the mansion."

"And what happened to him?"

"I…do not know." Aya stared straight at Dio, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "After he made the fire, and before we parted ways, he made it very clear that he would stay. I'm presuming he's dead."

They were both silent for a while.

"I see. I'm sorry for letting you remember these."

"No. It's been 12 years. I'm over it already." Aya looked down and shook her head. She was clearly lying about what she's feeling, and Dio can't take it anymore.

"What if…just what if…what if this acquaintance of yours is still alive?" Dio said.

Aya looked up at him with a bitter grin. "No. I watched the mansion burn. He never came out."

_Should I tell her? I think its time but…ah to hell with it. I can't take it anymore._ Dio gritted his teeth. "Do you really not remember? You really can't recognize me?"

Aya still looked at him with a bewildered face, and Dio laughed bitterly as he covered the right side of his face. He watched as she displayed a wide array of expressions.

At first she was still puzzled, then her eyes widened in realization, and then she stood up in pure shock, finally, her face twisted into an expression of anger, most probably towards herself. To be honest, it was quite fun watching her.

"I-impossible…" She stared at him. "Your soul should've dispersed or something, you said so yourself, how are you…? And your face…" Aya covered her face with her hands, hissing in anger towards herself. "No wonder I felt a sort of familiarity towards you…"

"It's a long story…" Before he could finish his sentence, Aya captured him in a bear hug, which caught him in surprise and he blushed furiously as he looked down at the girl hugging him.

"I thought you were dead…"He could hear faint sobs, and, with no better idea of what to do next, he raised his arms to hug her back, when he felt a sharp pain on his arm and pulled away from her. He looked at his arm and saw a syringe filled with a clear liquid sticking out and he pulled it out, but it was too late. The moment he pulled it out, he felt his limbs becoming numb as he fell on the wooden floor.

"Sorry to end our heartfelt reunion this quickly, Dio, but from the moment you said you want to talk me I knew you already realized it. I'm afraid I can't let you out of this house alive. Don't worry, though, I'll take _good_ care of you."

Aya knelt before his now entirely numb body on the floor, and Dio used the last inch of his strength to turn his head and look at Aya. He wanted to say something, but the drug was taking effect all too quickly, and anything that came out of his mouth sounded like senseless blabbering.

Her blue eyes were murky, and a maniacal grin was present on her face. Whatever he did, it triggered her madness, and he's probably about to be made into a doll himself. He did say he has an advantage over her, but that was under the pretense that she wouldn't come up with a surprise attack.

"Look it this flawless skin and beautiful hair. And you've got the prettiest eyes I've seen in my whole life, even prettier than that girl, Jean Rooney, was it? Yes, you'll be my most beautiful masterpiece." She whispered as she gently slid her fingers over his cheeks, and her breath on his face sent shivers down his spine. He must've had a terrible expression on his face, since Aya 'tsk-ed' at him. "You mustn't do that; it will ruin your face when I make you into a doll."

His sight was blurring as he watched Aya stand up and hooked her arms under his, pulling him to the clinic beside the kitchen. She accidentally dropped him, making him hit his head on the floor, and before he completely blacked out, the last thing he remembered was the impossibly wide grin on Aya's face as she bent down to pick him up again.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

A loud thump made Dio wake up in surprise, and that was a very bad idea. He hit his head as he woke up, and clutched it in pain. Once the pain faded away to a faint throb on the top of his head, he looked around him. He was in a cage that was too low for him to even sit up, but it was wide, which was more than enough space if he lay down in a fetal position or if he crawled. Clearly, this cage was meant to contain either small animals or children, definitely not suitable for tall humans like Dio himself.

The room was dimly lit and there were no windows, and the thumping noise sounded like it came from above him, which means he's probably in a basement or something.

The noise died down after a while, and a door was opened, letting in some light. The door was on the opposite side of where Dio was, and he saw Aya walk down the stairs. She flipped a switch, and everything was suddenly brighter. He had to shield his eyes until they adjusted to the light.

"I see you are awake, Mr. Dio. I didn't expect you to wake up this early, but that probably has something to do with you pulling out the syringe while it was still injecting the medicine into your body. Though it was all in vain, you still surprised me with your quick reflexes." She walked to the cage where he was contained, or more like skipped. "Everything you do seem to exceed people's expectations in you, surprising them a terrible lot. Or to me, at least. I'm sure you're wondering why you aren't a doll yet?"

"That's one thing, and I still have a lot of questions." Dio said weakly. He could feel his limbs, but they all feel sluggish. He could barely talk, making his words understandable, though still sound blurred together.

"I thought so, that's why I came down here to entertain you while waiting." Aya pulled a nearby chair and sat down in front of him. "You say you have a lot of questions, and I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge."

"First of all, what's taking so long?"

"Well, I told you that Maria went to the post office to retrieve a package, right? Inside that package is a new chemical. Once processed, it will work like formaldehyde, though much efficient in terms of preserving…whatever there is to be preserved. Normal formaldehyde solutions delay, but do not prevent, decay, which is quite troublesome in my line of work."

"But what did you use to make those previous dolls?"

"It is also similar to formaldehyde, but we need to soak them in the solution every once in a while to prevent decay." Aya sighed. "But this new chemical won't be that tiresome. We just need the subject to ingest about 100mL of this new solution and it will be preserved for a very, very long time. Plus, it will rid us of the need to kill you first, since ingesting as little as a drop can cause death in an adult human. However, a few more ingredients must be added before it can be used, and Maria is doing that right now."

"What was the medicine you injected in me?" Dio asked another question.

"You're very curious, aren't you?" Aya smiled. "Its something I made myself and it acts like a strong, fast-acting sedative that can cause total blackout in mere seconds, as you have experienced. If you let all of what was inside the syringe enter your bloodstream, you'd be unconscious for days."

While Aya was talking, Dio was observing the room. It was smaller than the living room, but there were tools of every kind scattered everywhere and, to Dio's surprise, it wasn't as bloody or messy as Mr. Drevis' lab. Even if Maria came back and helped her mistress, dragging a full grown man down the stairs is no easy job. No wonder there were bruises all over his body.

"Anymore questions?"

Dio looked at Aya straight in the eyes. The madness was still there. "Why?"

"Why?" Aya tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that."

"Why are you doing this? You aren't the Aya I know. You loved your mother and father even when you knew the things they've done. You helped out the poor souls who needed helping back in the mansion. You even saved Maria after she was attacked by Dr. Drevis knowing full well that she might just slow you down. So what happened? What happened that made you like this?"

After Dio's small outburst, Aya stayed silent, watching him with her blue eyes. This time, however, Dio noticed the madness subsided a little, but it was still present. After what felt like years, Aya sighed.

"Do you think I make children into dolls just for fun? For my own amusement? Have you ever thought that I have a reason for making them into dolls? No, like everyone else. Humans are such irritable creatures. They force everybody to follow these rules that they insist are good and just, and when somebody does something they deem 'immoral' or 'unacceptable', they quickly judge them as despicable and disgusting without even trying to understand. What's more is that they pass this down to their children, brainwashing them from a very young age, forcibly passing their close-mindedness to people who can't understand what's going on yet." Aya stood up and walked towards Dio. She bent down and gave him an icy stare. "Whatever you think, and despite doing the same things he did, I'm different from my father, Dio. _He_ makes people into dolls for _fun_, while _I_ make people into dolls _to end their suffering._"

She went back to her chair and sat back down. "Have you noticed? All of my 'victims' are young children who come from poor families and have feeble bodies or chronic diseases that they are forced to live their entire life with until their death just because they are too poor to afford those insanely expensive medical bills. To tell the truth, I'm no physician. I'm just a person who has almost the same knowledge as a doctor does. But it's enough to make me help bring an end to their misery. As for why dolls, it's just something like a memento, a silent reminder of their existence that I ended with my own hands. It's sad to think that their life ended and yet there's nothing to remember them with, right? And dolls are much cuter, don't you think?"

Aya put the chair back to where she took it and went back upstairs without letting Dio answer. Shortly afterwards, he was submerged into darkness again.

* * *

So, during this two-month disappearance, I had A LOT of time to think about what to write in this chapter, and this came out.

Hopefully you guys like it, as I'm not very sure if I like it myself or not.

A small hint/spoiler to you people who are willing to allot some time in reading this A/N part: the next chapter will be the end of this fanfic, and what will happen to Dio, Aya, Maria, and Ogre? I'll let your imagination run wild for a bit before I publish the next chapter ;D

Ciao~


	5. Chapter 5

Whew, finally finished this.

So I said that this is the final chapter. Apparently there will be another chapter after this. There were some changes in the plan, and I didn't want to drag this out as a super long chapter, so I decided to add another chapter instead. Besides, I think that Ogre should have some extra screen time as well. He would be a totally useless character in this story if he didn't have at least a final clash with the main character (AKA Dio), right?

My college entrance exams are near, too, so even if I have a clear idea in my mind and it shouldn't take me too long to post the final chapter, it might have to wait until the exams are over. Sorry~~

* * *

Chapter 5 Red-Eyed Stranger

Dio was awakened by the sudden sound of the door opening. The sedative has already worn off, so he could freely move his body without any difficulty. That is, if he can even move in this cage.

"Good evening, Mr. Dio." Maria came down the stairs with a tray of food in her hands. "I've brought you dinner."

"How long has it been?" Dio asked.

"If you're asking how long it's been since you passed out, approximately 5 hours." Maria said as she passed the tray through a large hole on the cage. "How are you feeling?"

"If you're asking physically, then I'm fine. But if you're asking emotionally, I feel like crap." Dio glanced at the food, and despite his protesting stomach, he didn't touch it. "Where's Aya?"

"Mistress is currently taking a rest. Dragging you all the way down to this cage has apparently used up a lot of her energy. As you might've already guessed, she's not cut up for any physical labor." Maria answered, and instead of leaving Dio and exiting the room like he assumed she would, Maria pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, just like what Aya did a few hours ago. "Aside from bringing you food, Mr. Dio, I have something to ask of you. And I'm sure it's something you can't refuse."

Dio raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound very convincing coming from someone like you."

"Indeed, it is logical of you to distrust me, but this has nothing to do with me, but with mistress herself."

"Oh? What does she have to do with this 'request' of yours?"

"On that very day, I swore that I shall protect mistress with all I have, for she saved my life once, and I feel obligated to serve her, yet, I…I can't stand watching her succumbing deeper into this darkness any longer." Maria sighed. "Watching her becoming more and more like her father pains me, more so when I see the dolls on the shelf. At first she reasoned that her actions are purely for giving the children the 'liberation' they deserve, yet as time passes by, I noticed that apart from the pity she holds for the children, she showed signs of…amusement. That was when I was truly aware that she was becoming like her father, and soon she'll start killing innocent people solely for entertainment."

Dio listened intently as he kept his eyes on Maria the entire time. She showed no obvious signs of lying. "Then why are you still helping her?"

"I've thought of resisting her, disobeying her orders of bringing her more children 'who need her help', yet every time I try, I find myself thinking about the consequences of my actions. What would mistress do if I told her of my intentions? Would she deem it as unfaithfulness, disloyalty, or even betrayal? And if so, what would she do to me? What if she kills me and makes me into a doll?" Maria said with a grim expression. "I am ashamed to admit it, and I'm sure you understand, Mr. Dio, that I fear death more than anything else. I have escaped it once, and I don't want to go back to it the second time. Death is as inevitable as life, that is true, but I just wish to accept it when I'm ready, not because it is forced onto me."

Dio lowered his head. Perhaps what Maria said was true. Those who have escaped Death are fearful of losing again what they have once lost. "So what do you want me to do? I can't even help myself, how will I help you, or Aya for that matter? And even if I want to, I don't even know where to start."

"This might sound strange, but I occasionally hear mistress talk of a 'Red-Eyed Stranger'. It seems that he was present at the mansion years ago. Also, mistress keeps a book, also called, strangely, 'The Red-Eyed Stranger', in her room. Perhaps all of this has something to do with this person and book? You could start with that." Maria said to Dio in a light whisper. "Later tonight, when mistress is fast asleep, I will come again and get you out of the cage, then I'll give you the key to mistress' room. You can sneak inside and get the book. Surely, it will contain some clues."

When Maria said he could sneak inside Aya's room, Dio frowned. "You mean I'll have to enter her room while she's asleep? What if she wakes up?" Apart from the anxious thought of her waking up on him, entering a woman's room while she's asleep sounds awfully wrong.

Maria shook her head. "Mistress is a heavy sleeper. She will not wake to small noises if you are careful. Now, it seems that mistress won't be coming down here anymore, but we still need to be cautious. I will come back once mistress has gone to bed; I will unlock the cage by then. For the meantime, be patient and wait."

Dio watched her go back upstairs. She didn't exactly answer his last question, but at least she was kind enough to leave the lights on. He wasn't exactly comfortable in the dark.

"What, do I have to knock her out if she wakes up? I don't think that's a good idea. Or maybe I could seduce her to tell me the location of the book. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? The drug is probably still in my system." Dio banged his own head at the bars, freaked out by his own idea. "Anyhow, I'll just have to wait and see…"

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Dio was woken by the opening of the basement door again. He didn't realize he fell asleep. He sat quietly as he watched whoever it was descend the stairs and he was relieved to see Maria as she walked toward his cage with a bunch of keys in her hand.

"It is time, Mr. Dio. Mistress has gone to bed for quite a while now."

"How are you sure she's asleep?" Dio asked nervously.

"Before going to bed, I prepared some chamomile tea to help induce sleepiness and, for extra measure, I added a few drops of the sedative she used on you. She won't be waking any time soon." Maria said as she unlocked the cage where Dio was confined.

Dio immediately crawled out and stretched his body and limbs. "Remind me not to hire you as my maid next time."

Maria dismissed the joke and went upstairs without saying a word and Dio followed her upstairs, to the clinic. The latch to the basement was very well hidden, and Dio silently smacked his head for not noticing it when he was investigating the place.

"Of course it would be in the basement. Since when did I become this stupid…?" Dio muttered to himself as he followed Maria, not noticing the subtle smile on her face.

_They say love degrades one's IQ._ Maria silently thought to herself, though she wasn't planning on saying it to Dio.

They reached a door and Maria stopped right in front of it. "This is mistress's room." She said in a whisper. "I will open the door for you. Find the book and come back out."

Dio swallowed hard as he watched Maria unlock the door and opened it. Once the door was opened, he stared into the dark room, hesitating to go in. Not once in his entire life has he entered a girl's room, not even when he was "dead", and he was feeling awfully nervous.

Maria held the door open as she patiently watched Dio prepare himself. Right now, despite the circumstances, she found herself fighting back a grin. It was fun seeing Dio all nervous whenever it comes to her mistress. She sighed in her head. If only her mistress was a normal girl…no, if only her father wasn't a psycho and they had met under more normal circumstances, it wouldn't be like this at all. _How much I would give to see mistress have a normal life…_

Suddenly, Dio exhaled, and Maria was pulled back to reality.

"Ready, Mr. Dio?" She asked him.

"I wouldn't call it 'ready'…but yes, I'll go in now." He whispered back to her as he stepped into the room.

Other than the light from the hallway, which came through the open doorway, the room was dark. He has been in here once, when he came here to investigate. He was alone back then, without a sleeping Aya right in front of him. Suddenly, he was enveloped in darkness. Maria has closed the door, and he couldn't see anything. Dio swallowed hard, and then exhaled silently.

From what he could remember, there was a bookshelf right across the room. However, he did not recall any book titled "The Red-Eyed Stranger". Perhaps he missed it while investigating? He didn't pay much attention to the bookshelf after all. After realizing that, he silently cursed his carelessness again. This was the first time he committed two, no, three careless mistakes in his life.

Swiftly and silently approaching the bookshelf, he squinted his eyes so he could see better in the darkness. His eyes were already adjusted to the dark, but reading the titles one by one would still be difficult with the current amount of light. Sliding his finger against the spines of the books, he heard Aya's voice. Immediately, he turned around in alarm, and watched in cold sweat as Aya slowly turned in her sleep. After a few minutes of utter silence, Dio exhaled slowly and returned to his book hunting, though his heart was still pounding from the small scare Aya gave him.

_What would she do if she woke up and found me in her room? Surely, she wouldn't have a syringe filled with that sedative around, would she?_ _Or maybe she has some other tricks up her sleeve._

Dio found the book at the top right corner of the bookshelf, and despite being plenty tall for an average human, he fingertips barely brushed the spine of the book. Looking around, he found a small stool beside the shelf and used it to help him get the book while praying that the puny wooden stool wouldn't break under his weight. It didn't, but it did give out a loud creak as he stepped on it. Dio cringed at the noise produced and looked back at Aya. She didn't move an inch and still looked fast asleep, so he sighed in relief as he grabbed the book and immediately jumped off the stool, not wanting to risk it.

_Mission partially accomplished, now I need to get out of here. I don't want to stay here any longer and let Aya wake up while I'm still here._ Dio thought to himself as he swiftly glided across the room to the door. It was closed by Maria when he stepped in, and all he needed to do is open it as quietly as he can and get out. Though just as he was about to reach for the door knob, he heard a soft voice calling out for him. It was Aya.

"Dio…"

At the sound of his name, Dio quickly dropped to the floor, hoping that Aya wouldn't see him if ever she woke up, but he didn't see her move, so he slowly stood up again and walked to her bedside.

"Dio…" Aya whispered in her sleep. It seems like she's having a dream, one that included Dio.

Dio watched her as she continued to talk in her dream. He noticed that her cheeks were of a pinkish hue. Of course, in the darkness it's hard to see, but he was sure that she was blushing. What on earth could she be dreaming about that included him and made her blush? Dio could only think of a few reasons, and most of them not particularly…"good".

"No…don't go…" Suddenly, Aya started talking in her sleep again, this time with a pained expression on her face, like she was about to cry and her outstretched arm looks like she's reaching for something, or someone. "Please…"

Beads of tears started to roll down from the corner of her eye and, unconsciously, Dio wiped it away from her cheek. He realized what he was doing, and was about to pull away when Aya grabbed his arm. At first, Dio thought she was finally waking up and various ideas were running through his mind on how to deal with Aya when she wakes up, then he realized she was still dreaming.

"Please…stay with me…don't do it…" She was grabbing onto his arm tightly, and no matter how hard Dio tried, her iron grip wouldn't let go, and if he tugged too hard, she might actually wake up this time.

_Where the hell is Maria when you need her?!_

Dio tried to force his arm out, but every time he tugged too far, he saw Aya's brows furrow, and he had to stop, and when he tried to lift her arm, she gave out a groan. Eventually, he gave up and sat down on the floor beside the bed, his right arm still stuck with Aya, hoping that Maria would notice how long he was taking in her mistress's room and come and find him.

While wishing for Maria's rescue, he took this time to observe Aya, as he did not have the chance to when she was still awake. Her shoulder length hair was partially covering her fair, white complexion, and her incredibly long eyelashes were quivering while she was dreaming. He remembered her eyes, those deep, ocean blue eyes hidden behind those eyelids. It was sad to think that just a few hours ago those same beautiful eyes were tainted by madness. Her nose was small, and no freckles or blemishes were present on her face. Lastly, his eyes fell on her rosy pink, slightly parted lips. They were moving ever so slightly in her sleep, murmuring words he could not hear nor comprehend.

Suddenly, an evil thought, if you could call it that, snaked its way through Dio's mind. He knew that it was a bad idea, but somehow he couldn't help himself. From a sitting position he sat up and kneeled in front of her so it was easier, and he leaned towards her, his target pretty much clear at this point. He was inching slowly towards her, and they were just millimeters apart, when he felt Aya's grip on his arm tighten and she hugged it closer to her body. Fear came upon Dio as he stopped dead on his tracks. They were so close he could feel her breath on his lips, and he could practically _taste_ her. Her eyelids moved a bit, and then relaxed, but he couldn't say the same to the arms that held his tightly.

_I think I'll get a heart attack the next time she scares me like this._ Dio thought to himself. Slowly, he relaxed his tense shoulders, and then a new sensation presented itself to Dio's mind. It was coming from his arm, the arm that was being tightly held against Aya's chest, to be specific. Aya was holding his arm so tightly against her that Dio could clearly feel the outline of the physical feature present only in the female human anatomy press against his arm, and the facts that she was wearing thin sleeping attire and Aya was very well endowed for a woman does not help him relax one bit.

_Holy shit, I need to get out of her grip right this instant._ He thought to himself as he tried to get his arm out of hers again, but in vain. Every time he wanted to pull out his arm, he had to use a little force, and when he did, it would press against _that_ even more. _Well, its not that I don't like it, its just that if we weren't under these circumstances I would've enjoyed it more…wait, did I just say 'enjoy', or that whole sentence, for that matter? Okay, this is seriously messing up my mind. Hasn't it been long enough? Why isn't Maria checking on me?_

As if answering his frantic prayers, the door opened quietly and Maria peeked inside. "Mr. Dio? Have you found it yet?"

"Yeah, but I'm in a bit of a problem right now, a very big problem." Dio whispered to her.

Maria entered the room and immediately saw Dio kneeling in front of the bed, and anyone who saw this scene would immediately imagine that 'something' was going on. "Mr. Dio, what are you…?"

"I'll tell you later, just hurry up and help me."

Maria did as she was told, and she gently yet firmly lifted one of Aya's arms so Dio could pull his arm out. After that, Dio grabbed the book that fell on the carpet and both of them went out of the room. After Maria quietly closed the door, she led Dio back to the clinic, the room farthest from Aya's room and the only room in the house that had sound proof walls, so they could discuss things without the fear of being heard.

"Now, would mind explaining to me what you were doing beside mistress' bed and how your arm got caught in her arms?" Maria shot Dio a questioning look.

"Nothing happened, alright?" For a second, Dio thought he saw disappointment flash in Maria's eyes, but dismissed it as a trick of the light. "While I was about to leave the room, Aya looked like she was having a bad dream, so I went to check on her. Who knew that she would grab me? Anyway, what's important right now is that I've got the book, alright? Why don't we start looking for clues about that red-eyed stranger you were talking about?"

Maria nodded, but she stood up and got something from the cupboard. It was two mugs. She poured something that looked like tea and gave a mug to Dio. The mug was decorated with cherries and the tea had a faint scent of cherry in it.

"I just thought it would be better if we had some tea while discussing, so I made some while you were in mistress' room." Maria said as she slid back into her chair. Her mug was plain white.

"I see, but can I ask you something before we start?"

"Go ahead." Maria nodded again as she took a sip of her tea.

"What's with the cherries? Are you somehow mocking me?" Dio eyed Maria suspiciously.

Maria looked genuinely surprised. "What on earth are you talking about? This particular tea just happens to be very effective for clearing up the mind, and I chose the mugs on random."

_She's definitely mocking me!_ Dio glared at Maria. _Though I suppose it is true…but no way in hell am I going to admit it to that damn old woman._

"Are you done with your question Mr. Dio?" Maria asked him with a slight smirk on her face.

"Yeah, let's see what's inside that book…" Even if he was annoyed, there was still work to be done. He reached out for the book and was about to turn the cover when someone slammed their deathly pale hand on the book, surprising both Dio and Maria. They looked up to see a pair of glinting red eyes and a devilish smirk.

"My, my. That was really close." The man said in a sing-song voice. "Just a few seconds later and…"

Dio and Maria jumped from their chairs and glared at the intruder. There were two of them and one of him, and counting Maria's skills with knives, they could just beat him up. But they couldn't move. It's like something is pulling them back. Was it fear?

"W-who are you?" Dio muttered. He didn't think that that man would have a part in this.

"Dear me, after all those encounters and I haven't introduced myself? I'm terribly sorry for my rudeness." The man bowed. "I go by many names, but currently I prefer the name 'Ogre'."

"How did you get in this house?" Maria asked another question.

"That is a funny one. I am the one who made this house, and I know every nook, cranny, and corner in this little cottage. Also, haven't you thought it weird that after all those months of living here nobody has ever found it?" Ogre tilted his head as he continued to smile at them. "Well, with the exception of Mr. Dio right here."

Dio glanced at Maria, and looked back at Ogre. "One last question. What do you want?"

Ogre's smile widened, as if amused. "What do I want? Oh, I don't want anything in particular. I'm just here so that none of you can snatch away one of my most precious clients."

"You mean Aya?" Dio clenched his fists in anger.

"Oh yes, that mad man's daughter. How did you know? Anyway, I have a lot of things to do, so excuse me, I have to go now. But of course, not without what I came here for." Ogre took the book and slid it inside his coat. Then, he waved his hand and Aya immediately appeared at the doorway.

"Mistress?" Maria looked back in surprise. Aya stood there for a few seconds, than started walking towards Ogre. She was moving on her own, but she seemed like she was sleep-walking.

As Aya passed between Dio and Maria, they both tried to reach out to her, but when their hands were just a few millimeters away from her, they felt some sort of electric shock and they pulled their hands away.

"Aya!" Dio shouted her name, hoping it would wake her up. "Wake up already!"

"This is why humans are so stupid." Ogre sighed. "Do you really think she would wake up by just a mere call? It would probably work when she's actually sleep-walking, but too bad she's not."

Aya walked to Ogre's side, and Ogre picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. Aya just dangled there without any reaction. "I'd love to stay and talk some more, but I really have to go now. Bye~"

He snapped his finger and a portal appeared out of thin air. Both Dio and Maria were startled to see a sight, but that didn't stop Ogre from stepping in, together with Aya. After he disappeared, and the portal was closing, Dio dashed towards the portal as if his life depended on it, and he was followed closely by Maria. Both of them entered just before it completely closed, and they stumbled on the floor as they came through.

"Ow…" Dio muttered under his breath. He fell down face first and he turned his head just in time to avoid a possible broken nose. He heard Maria fall on the floor beside him; however, she landed on the floor more gracefully than he did. "I keep on forgetting that you're a ninja."

"A ninja? What made you think so?" Maria raised an eyebrow as she patted her dress.

"Well, considering how you managed to land on the floor with your feet and your way with knives, I'd say you'd make a pretty good ninja." Dio said, and he winced when he stood up. Ah, his ankle hurts, but it isn't bad enough to be sprained yet. At least that's what he thinks.

"My way with knives? You couldn't have possibly seen me…oh. You finally remember."

"You looked very familiar when I first saw you, but I remembered it just a few minutes ago." Dio shrugged. "Anyhow, we need to hurry and find Aya. Who knows what that fucked up monster will do to her."

Maria nodded in agreement, and they looked around to examine their surroundings, and they were stunned yet again with what they saw. They were standing in the lobby of a place they both knew all too well. It was the mansion where all those events have happened. No, it isn't exactly _that_ mansion, since Dio had already burned it to the ground, but it's an exact replica of it. Even the decorations were the exactly the same, it gave them an eerie feeling.

"What the…" Maria said in terror. "This place shouldn't exist, you burned it, right?"

"That I did." Dio narrowed his eyes. "I saw to that. This must be a copy. But copy or not we have to move on."

Maria nodded again. This was not a good place for neither of them, but for the sake of her mistress, she had push on. "Where do you suppose Ogre has taken her?"

"I have no idea either." Dio sighed. "My bet would be the lab, but we don't know where it is. This place might be exact to every corner of the former mansion, or it might not, who knows?"

"Then that leaves us no choice but to check it out."

"Right." Dio swallowed hard. They were currently on enemy territory, and they have to be extremely cautious if they want to live and save Aya at the same time. "If I remember correctly, the lab was to the left."

They immediately entered the door to the left and straight to the lab, ignoring the other rooms. As they entered the basement and ran along the hallway, Dio had a bad feeling about the place. Everything was too quiet, and the only noise they could hear was their ragged breaths and footsteps. Something's not right.

"Maria, wait." Dio said as he stopped.

Maria stopped and looked back at Dio. "What is it?"

"There's something suspicious about this place." Dio looked around them. "Ogre should've known by now that we followed him through the portal, and he seemed bent on not letting us get Aya back, so why isn't there anything to stop us?"

"You're right." Maria said. "We should've encountered traps already, if not anything else."

"Exactly, but this place is too quiet. Maybe we're going the wrong way?"

"Perhaps so, or maybe there is one just ahead. We need to continue, even if there's something suspicious going around. Even if we are going the wrong way, we have to make sure. Better to risk it than miss it."

"Fine. Let's go. The lab is just ahead."

They continued their run and reached the lab door. As Maria put her hand on the handle, both of them exhaled silently, preparing themselves for whatever is inside. After silently counting to three, Maria burst through the door and held up her knife-holding hands, but there were nobody there to greet them.

"Nobody's here. Maybe they're further inside." Maria pointed at the door at the opposite side of the lab.

"Let's go then." Dio entered the room and walked past the wooden tables. It almost gave him a nauseous feeling, remembering how he was captured and experimented on. "If this place really is a replica, then that means there's an even bigger lab."

"That's where doctor did most of his major experiments, and ones that he didn't wish his wife or mistress to see." Maria said as she followed closely behind. "Mr. Dio…what do you suppose that man will do to mistress?"

"He won't kill her, that's for sure. He said Aya is one of his precious clients, after all." Dio said. "But we can't be sure of what other things he'll do."

They reached a chapel like place, and decided to take a rest on one of the benches after running through all the rooms. The mansion is big, but the underground laboratory is even bigger. And who would've thought of putting a chapel underneath? Is this where the Drevis family has their mass or something?

"Pretty ironic, if I say so myself." Dio said breathlessly as he sat down.

"Indeed it is." Maria sat at the bench behind Dio. "I was amused myself when I learned of this place."

"God, this place is huge. What if Aya isn't even in the lab? That means we'd have to go through all those rooms and back to the lobby again." Dio groaned. "I swear, once we set Aya free and meet with that creep, I'll beat the crap out of him for making me run around the place like an idiot."

Maria didn't respond. She silently stood up and pulled out her knives. Dio noticed this and stood up too. He didn't have a weapon, but he did have a scalpel that he picked up along the way. He wasn't sure it would help, but better than nothing.

"What is it?" Dio asked Maria, who was staring intensely at the door on the left. Then he heard it. It was the noise of a machine, and it was getting closer, accompanied by a hysterical laugh.

Suddenly, the wooden door was attacked by a chainsaw from the other side, and after the door was shredded, a man in a lab coat appeared. His appearance shocked both Maria and Dio. It was Alfred Drevis, whom they both thought was already dead, killed by Dio and burned together with the mansion.

"D-doctor…!?" Maria said in surprise. The hands that held the knives wavered for a bit when Maria saw who it was.

"Impossible…" Dio said in horror. It really was Mr. Drevis, but with a more…horrid appearance. His flesh was of a sickening purplish hue, and his face wore a hysteric expression, that insanely wide smile almost too terrifying to look at. In short, he looked worse than he did while he was still alive. "How…?"

Mr. Drevis looked at both of them for a while, then lifted his chainsaw and charged at Dio, who was nearer. Dio jumped away, and the chainsaw hit the bench instead. Mr. Drevis laughed, and then charged at Maria next. However, she didn't dodge. She just lifted her knives and shot them at Mr. Drevis. The knives hit him straight in the chest, and he stopped and dropped his chainsaw as he stared at the knives protruding from his flesh, but he didn't collapse. He pulled out the knives one by one and charged Maria again.

"Thought so." Maria said as she barely managed to dodge him. "He's like a zombie now. There's no end to this."

"Not if we do this." Dio said. He quickly approached behind Mr. Drevis as he prepared to attack Maria again and used the chainsaw Mr. Drevis dropped to cut his head off.

Mr. Drevis, now headless, dropped to the floor, with no signs of ever getting back up again.

"This time, let's make sure that he's really dead after we find mistress." Maria said as she eyed the headless body.

"I second that idea." Dio nodded and dropped the chainsaw. It seemed like a good idea to carry it around at first, but somehow he had a feeling of disgust when he held it. However, for safety measures, he and Maria destroyed most of its parts so it couldn't be used again. "Now, let's go and find that mistress of yours."

* * *

Pardon my grammatical errors and the like. I was rushing this and didn't really do a good job on proofreading and partially because I was too lazy to (punch me all you want).

Hopefully you guys like it

Please be kind enough to leave a review~


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